Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-01-22

Ino reports OF the house committee on
territories relatiyeto the admission into
the union of the territories of Washing
ton and Montana are respectfully refer.
red to the people OF Dakota for their
persual and consideration. Referring to
the senate bill to admit Washington ter
ritory as state the house committee
says:
The vote cast at the last election in
that portion of Idaho, which the bill
proposes to add to she new state, wss
4,646, which ut u ratio OF ~ represents
population of 2l,S36. Adding this to
the population OF Washington, the new
state will come into the union with 197,-
905 people, or 25,000 more than the es-
tabiished unit of representation. The
committee is OF the opinion that Wash
ington territory has all the elements OF
wealth, intelligence and local develop
ment in every particular to enaLle the
people to successfully establish and
maintain state government.
In its report relative to Montana the
committee finds chat that territory con-
tains population of 15l ,472, basing its
population estimate on the vote OF last
November. Having settled the pop
ulation question to its satisfaction the
committee says:
1t would seem that Montana contains
larger population than the ratio OF
representation in congress-. Copious
quotations are made from the governors
! recent message exhibiting the financial
condition OF the territory, it's vast ma
tional resources and heavy exports of
mineral and animal products. The
committee recommends that the original
senate bill which provided for the sd-
mission OF Washington territory with q
portion OF Idaho added, be 80 amended
ss to include Montana, and .hat the
constitutions OF the proposed states OF
Washington and Montana be submitted
to congress instead of to the president
as provided in the senate bill.
That both the territories named are
entitled to statehood is no part OF oui
desire or design to question, They un.
doubtedly possess the population
wealth and business prospects to entitle
each to statehood. That to which we
direct attention especially is the par
tjsan audacity of democratic house
committee in utterly ignoring the claim.
OF Dakota with more than half million
people and then advocating statehood fol
these other two territories With theil
weaker claims upon the favor OF the
union. 1t is characteristic OF the demo.
cratic party to carry on its political
schemes with unblushing effrontery. Itt
opposition to the admission OF republican
Dakota and its advocacy of the admls-
sion OF democratic Montana and demo.
cratic Washington is but an exhibition
OF its soulless partisanship, which neve,
hesitates to trample right into fragments
and erect wroag upon its ruins il the ao.
adds to the prestige OF the democratic
party.
The fact stands that the south half O,
Dakota contains nearly as many people
as both the territories OF Montana aad
Washington and that the north half CON
tains many more than the greater o
those two territories. Other ssatistic
have been given time after time in be
halt OF Dakote's claim and their repeti.
ticn is now useless. "a they count 10
nothing against the determination Il
perpetuate wrong. In the face Of 81
palpable q, wrong 1t is pertinent &
enquire il Dakota is undSs any mora
obligation to adhere to statehoo
course imposed by congress.
In its efforts to accomplish statehoo
, Dakota has steadiaatly clung 70 the Q